System and method for hardware and software monitoring with integrated resource acquisition

ABSTRACT

A method, system, and network providing hardware and software inventorying and monitoring provide the status of a local network of interconnected information technology devices. A user downloads and installs a local network monitoring software program from an online source onto a host computer system. The local network monitoring software system initiates an inventory of all information technology devices associated with said local network of information technology devices. Also, the local network monitoring software determines the operational status of the information technology devices and the status of software programs installed on the information technology devices. The results of the inventory and status determinations are presented to the host computer system. The presented information permits the user of said host computer system to initiate maintenance and support actions for the information technology devices in response to the operational status and status of software programs using the local network monitoring software.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This U.S. Patent Application claims priority of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 60/892,831, filed Mar. 2, 2007.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates in general to the field of software, andmore particularly to information technology management software.

BACKGROUND

Existing information technology (IT) management software packages haveseveral shortcomings. Existing IT management software packages are oftencomplicated. Often, such software packages are geared towardprofessional IT personnel in large businesses, neglecting small andmedium sized businesses. While the presentation of large amounts ofinformation may be beneficial in certain contexts, it is oftenunnecessary and overwhelming for less sophisticated IT managementpersonnel.

Existing IT management software packages may not integrate importantdata into a single interface. One IT management software package may bemore effective for managing one issue, while another may be moreeffective for another issue. An IT manager may need to review manydisparate sources of information in order to effectively manage the ITinfrastructure. Common management issues are often mixed with the lesscommonly encountered issues, making it tedious and time consuming tofilter the common issues from the less common issues.

Accordingly, there is a need for an IT management software package thataddresses the shortcomings of existing IT management software notedabove.

There is a further need for an IT management software package that iseasy to use, integrated and directed to common IT management issues.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, embodiments disclosed herein relate to a system forhardware and software monitoring with integrated resource acquisition.

In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method, system, andnetwork providing hardware and software inventorying and monitoringprovide the status of a local network of interconnected informationtechnology devices. A user downloads and installs a local networkmonitoring software program from an online source onto a host computersystem. The local network monitoring software system initiates aninventory of all information technology devices associated with saidlocal network of information technology devices. Also, the local networkmonitoring software determines the operational status of the informationtechnology devices and the status of software programs installed on theinformation technology devices. The results of the inventory and statusdeterminations are presented to the host computer system. The presentedinformation permits the user of said host computer system to initiatemaintenance and support actions for the information technology devicesin response to the operational status and status of software programsusing the local network monitoring software.

Other aspects and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent from thefollowing description and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features, nature, and advantages of the disclosed subject matter maybecome more apparent from the detailed description set forth below whentaken in conjunction with the drawings in which like referencecharacters identify correspondingly throughout and wherein:

FIGS. 1 through 11 show views of the inventory tab of one embodiment ofthe disclosed subject matter;

FIGS. 12 and 13 show views of the help desk tab of one embodiment of thedisclosed subject matter;

FIG. 14 through 16 show views of the reports tab of one embodiment ofthe disclosed subject matter;

FIGS. 17 and 18 show views of the settings tab of one embodiment of thedisclosed subject matter;

FIG. 19 shows a view of the community tab of one embodiment of thedisclosed subject matter;

FIG. 20 shows a high level schematic architecture of the disclosedsubject matter;

FIG. 21 shows how the presently disclosed network management systemallows an IT administrator to browse an IT network and see networkcontent, while IT equipment and software vendors obtain targetingopportunities for potential purchasers;

FIG. 22 depicts how the process of the present disclosure promotespurchase opportunities for buyers and sellers in an IT networkenvironment;

FIG. 23 shows how the presently disclosed system supports the activitiesof an IT network administrator;

FIG. 24 shows an initial graphical user interface screen shot showinginformation with which a network administrator may download thepresently disclosed IT network management system;

FIG. 25 presents a flow diagram for the asset and configurationdiscovery features of the disclosed subject matter; and

FIG. 26 presents a flow diagram for a watcher flow functions of thedisclosed subject matter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated in thedrawings, like numbers being used to refer to like and correspondingparts of the various drawings.

The disclosed subject matter relates to IT management software. Featuresof the disclosed subject matter include the ability to inventory anetwork, run an IT help desk, monitor a network for trouble, report on anetwork, troubleshoot issues on a network, collaborate with ITprofessionals, and provide feedback for software improvement.

The disclosed subject matter allows for an inventory of all hardware,software and other assets on a network. The software allows fordiscovery of the Windows, Mac, and Linux PCs and servers, routers,printers and any other IP-based devices on your network. All relevanttechnical data plus the software, patches and services on each machinemay be gathered. Other data such as number of licenses, purchase priceand physical location may also be added. Other assets such as mobilephones and office furniture may also be added. All of this informationmay be gathered without the use of agents. All inventory information maybe stored locally and securely on the network, avoiding any concernsabout sensitive information being communicated over the internet.

FIG. 1 shows a view 100 of an embodiment of an inventory tab 102 of thepresent disclosure. The inventory tab 102 allows a user to determine thehardware and software installed in an environment and to take action onthat data. The top half of the screen 104 shows the major categoriesthat assets are automatically sorted into upon discovery. In theembodiment shown, the categories include Workstations 106, Servers 108,Printers 110, Networking 112, Other 114, Unknowns 116, Software 118 andUser-Defined 120. The bottom half of the screen 122 shows Overview tab124, displaying the assets discovered in the environment and allowing auser to quickly see any issues. In the embodiment shown, the Overviewtab 124 shows the top manufacturers, operating systems, anti-virusvendors and status information along with the number of assetsdiscovered in each category. In one embodiment, underlined dataindicates that a user may perform some kind of action on that data. Forexample, under the Manufacturers (Top 4) tab 126, if a user wishes tosee assets manufactured by Dell, a user may click the Dell link toreceive a filtered view of environment data. Similarly, to see allassets not manufactured by Dell, a user may hover over the Dell link andsee ‘Others not like this’ (not shown).

FIG. 2 shows a view 130 of Alerts tab 132 on the bottom half 122 of thescreen. The Alerts tab 132 allows a user to see, at a glance, differentalerts that have been fired for the entire network. In one embodiment,default alerts may include whether a machine is offline, is running outof disk space, or if anti-virus software is not up to date.

FIG. 3 shows a view 140 of Storage tab 142 on the bottom half 122 of thescreen. The Storage tab 142 allows a user to see all assets in theenvironment and how much hard disk space remains. A user may view thatan asset is running out of disk space and proactively try to manage theissue before it becomes a problem.

FIG. 4 shows a view 150 of DNS tab 152 on the bottom half 122 of thescreen. The software will attempt to query a DNS server and make surethat it is configured correctly.

FIG. 5 shows a view 160 of one embodiment of the data a user may viewrelated to a workstation upon clicking the Workstations 106 categoryunder the inventory tab 102. In the embodiment shown, the General Infotab 162 at the bottom half 122 of the screen shows information collectedby the software related to a workstation. Such information may includemanufacturer, model, serial number and other information about theworkstation. A user may manually enter information about the workstationby clicking the Edit tab 164. In the embodiment shown, such informationmay include purchase price, purchase date, asset tag and location.

FIG. 6 shows a view 170 of Configuration tab 172 at the bottom half 122of the screen. In the embodiment shown, reboot information, amount ofmemory, last login, BIOS among other information.

FIG. 7 shows a view 180 of Software tab 182 at the bottom half 122 ofthe screen. In the embodiment shown, all of the software installed onthe device, what the version number, and when it was installed.

FIG. 8 shows a view 190 of Notes tab 192 at the bottom half 122 of thescreen. In the embodiment shown, a user may enter notes about aworkstation using Edit tab 164. For example, a user may want to make anote of problem issues associated with that workstation.

FIG. 9 shows a view 200 of one embodiment of the data a user may viewrelated to a workstation upon clicking the Software 118 category underthe inventory tab 102. In the embodiment shown, the name 202 of thesoftware, the oldest version 204 of the software on the network, thelatest version 206 of the software on the network, the licenses 208 andnumber of installs 210 are displayed.

On the bottom half 122 of the screen, the General tab 212, Installed Ontab 214, Not Installed tab 216, and Notes tab 218 are useful in managinglicenses. For license compliance, a user may input the number oflicenses available for a given software package. In the event that thenumber of installed versions of software exceeds the number of availablelicenses, an alert may be issued, indicating that the threshold forlicense compliance has been crossed. This may be a very powerful toolfor a user to take to management to request purchases of additionalrequired licenses. In addition, it may be useful for a user to be ableto ensure that for a volume license, the same key is being used for eachinstance of installed software.

An IT administrator may also need to manage things that are not easilydetectable on a network. In that case, there is a ‘User Defined’category. FIG. 10 shows a view 220 of one embodiment of the data a usermay view related to a workstation upon clicking the User-Defined tab 120category under the inventory tab 102. For example, in order to track anew projector (not easily detectable on a network), a user may click the‘New Asset’ tab 222. FIG. 11 shows a view 230 of one embodiment of auser pop-up 232 for entering information related to a new asset. Forexample, a user may enter Name 234 and Serial Number 236 as well asselect a Type 238 from pre-defined categories. In one embodiment, thepre-defined categories in the Type 238 pulldown include Copier, desktop,Fax, Hub, Laptop, Printer, Router, Server, SnmpDevice, Switch,VoIPDevice and Wireless Access Point. Alternatively, a user may create anew type 240 by manually defining a category.

The disclosed subject matter also provides for an information technology(IT) help desk. Daily projects and user requests may be managed from oneinterface. A ticket may be created upon discovery of a network assetthat requires attention while browsing a network. Clients may submittickets with attachments via email or the Web and may then view thestatus of those tickets online. Tickets may be assigned across an ITteam or attached to hardware on the network, be run on the tickets toeasily view due dates and which assets (or even departments) cause themost issues.

An internal help desk may greatly reduce the amount of time spenttracking work and responding to users and also makes it easy to reporton the amount of time spent doing IT related activities. In oneembodiment, the presently disclosed software is pre-configured withseveral of the most commonly used help desk options.

FIG. 12 shows a view 300 of an embodiment of a help desk tab 302 of thepresent disclosure. As shown, the help desk is divided into two regions.The top half of the screen 304 shows current help requests while thebottom half of the screen 306 shows the details of a particular helprequest. In one embodiment, there are several ways to create a helprequest.

An administrator may create a help request within the presentlydisclosed software using the New Ticket tab 308. FIG. 13 shows a view310 of a form for creating a new ticket 312 that appears when anadministrator clicks on the New Ticket tab 308. In the embodiment shown,the form 312 includes Contact, Summary, Description, Related To,Assigned To, Due Date and Priority input fields. The form 312 alsoallows for the attachment of files using the Browse button.Alternatively, users may submit help desk requests by directly using theweb interface (not shown) of the presently disclosed subject matter.This is available to anyone with a web browser, making it easy to submita request, check on the status of a request, as well as reply.Alternatively, the help desk may automatically create help desk requestsby allowing a user to send an email. This may be done by clicking theSetup tab 314.

In one embodiment, help desk tab 302 allows an administrator to selectthe tickets to be viewed 316 as unassigned tickets, open tickets, closedtickets, past due tickets, all tickets, tickets assigned to thatadministrator, and tickets where a purchase is required. Further, anadministrator may make changes to a help desk request and correspondwith a user using the features available on the bottom half of thescreen 306.

The disclosed subject matter provides for reports for sharing ITinformation. include software installed on machines, disk usage acrossthe network, trouble tickets recently created, among others. Further,custom be created using a simple interface. be published or exported toPDF or Excel. Useful custom be shared with other users.

FIG. 14 shows a view 400 of an embodiment of a reports tab 402 of thepresent disclosure. In one embodiment, default reports 404 includeApplications by Computer, Computers without Anti-Virus, Computers withAnti-Virus, Configuration Summary, Disk Usage, Event Summary, FixedAssets Schedule, Google desktop/WeatherBug, inventory Summary, IPPhones, Low Disk Space, Network Adapters Summary, Printers and Copiers,Server Event Summary, Services on Computers, Tickets by Device,Installed Applications, Software Compliance, Tickets by Software, AllTickets, Closed Tickets, Open Tickets, Reopened Tickets and TicketsPending Purchase.

Note that the Public column 406 may be used to mark a report asavailable to other users. For example, a supervisor or accountingpersonnel may need to view reports regularly. Making a report publicallows such a user to view the report from within the software of thedisclosed subject matter.

FIG. 15 shows a view 410 of one embodiment of a default report, a FixedAssets Schedule. A user has the options to Print 412, export to PDF 414,Export as CSV file 416, or export to Excel 418. Further, a user may edita report by clicking the Edit Report tab 420.

FIG. 16 shows a view 430 of one embodiment of the options available forediting a report. The Name dropdown 432 displays a list of availableitems to be included in the report. Add and Delete buttons 434 enable auser to add or delete items in the report. In one embodiment, criteriadropdown 436 may include such operators as is, is not, contains, doesnot contain, begins with, and ends with. Text input field 438 allows auser to manually input data. A user may select the columns for displayin the report using the Columns to display dropdown 440.

The disclosed subject matter may also be used to monitor a network fortrouble. A user may view, and set up alerts for, Windows events thatoccur across the environment for easily detecting, diagnosing andtroubleshooting issues that disrupt a network. Further, the disclosedsubject matter allows for automatic identification of PCs and serverswith low disk space, the presence of unwanted software on the network,the status of anti-virus updates, printers with low toner and inklevels, and offline servers. Email alerts may be used for notificationof potential issues. Further, valuable monitors are all consolidated inone centralized location.

FIG. 17 shows a view 500 of an embodiment of settings tab 502 of thepresent disclosure, including a link to Monitors and Alerts 504, shownin view 510 of FIG. 18.

A monitor is any condition which can be automatically evaluated by thesoftware of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, the defaultmonitors include Disk Space 512 (amount of free disk space),Online/Offline Status 514 (online/offline status for a device or groupof devices), Anti-Virus 516 (when anti-virus software is present and upto date), and Troublesome Software 518 (when specified software isremoved or installed, including Google desktop and WeatherBug).

To add a new monitor, a user may click ‘Add’ 520. For example, anadministrator may want to monitor when a new version of Microsoft OfficeOutlook is installed or uninstalled. This will result in an alert beingfired in the event that Microsoft Outlook is installed or uninstalled.This is a powerful way of monitoring an environment without the need formanually checking each system in the environment.

The disclosed subject matter allows the user to report on the network.The software allows the user to see software installed on machines, diskusage, and trouble tickets. Custom reports can be created and publishedso that others in the network can be informed of network updates, andissues, reports may then be exported in file formats such as PDF andExcel. Finally, the user can share and receive report templates fromother users of the software.

The disclosed subject matter allows a user to troubleshoot issues on thenetwork. When problems arise, the software allows for identification ofcause and resolution of the problem. For example, a user may see whatsoftware is running on a machine causing it to run slowly. A remotecontrol tool may be launched from within the software. Two machines maybe compared to determine what settings are different. The softwareallows for pinging a machine to see if it is online and running atraceroute to identify the flow of data. Further, the software allows auser to identify when a server is running out of capacity.

A user may troubleshoot a workstation with an issue by comparing thatworkstation with another workstation that is working correctly. TheCompare tab allows a side by side comparison of a first machine versus asecond machine. The software highlights in red any difference found inhardware, configuration, software, services or hotfixes. A user may alsoperform remote administration of machines via the Remote Control tab.The software uses two methods of remote control including Microsoft'sRemote desktop protocol and VNC screen-sharing protocol.

FIG. 19 shows a view 540 of an embodiment of community tab 542 of thepresent disclosure. The disclosed subject matter allows a user tocollaborate with other IT professionals. For example, a user may receiveratings and recommendations, ask questions, get tips and support, orjoin discussions. The collaboration may allow a user to help author ITWikipedia articles, all with an audience that is familiar with small andmedium sized business IT issues. Further, a user may submit usefulonline IT news and information.

The disclosed subject matter allows a user to become a virtual extensionof the software development team. A user may request and vote on newfeatures, view other users' ratings of features, submit feedback onexisting features, and preview upcoming releases.

FIG. 20 shows a high-level architectural view 550 of one embodiment ofthe disclosed subject matter. The different contexts supporting thedisclosed subject matter include an environment context 552, an assetcontext 554, a workflow context 556, and an event context 558. Thesecontexts make up the integrated asset and configuration discovery 560 ofthe disclosed subject matter. All of the information is available to anIT administrator or other user via a one-click management interface 562,along with in-stream advertising platform 564.

The asset context engine 554 allows a user to view the network assets onan individual, group or global basis and generate reports, flags andalerts.

The event context engine 558 provides a user with insight into thesystem, such as access to critical or proprietary information,web-server activity as a security measure, or general activity ofpersonnel after business hours.

The workflow context engine 556 is a smart engine providing the userwith information based on the processes that user is currently running.The workflow context engine 556 analyzes the current work by the userand presents this data through the data pivoting interface. Forinstance, if an end of year inventory program is running, the workflowcontent engine 556 may direct the user to websites where identified orneeded computer or network hardware, software or peripherals and beresearched and purchased. Additionally the workflow content engine 556may simply drive advertisements to the user relating to the user'sperceived needs. The data pivoting will be further discussed later inthe disclosure.

FIG. 21 shows how the disclosed subject matter allows an ITadministrator to browse a network for network content, while ITequipment and software vendors obtain targeting opportunities forpotential purchasers. The integrated asset and configuration anddiscovery software module, subroutine or engine 562 scans the networkand provides information relating to the system and its components, suchas type of computer, operating system, and other information.Additionally, the present system provides the user with system status(such as low ink); the system then alerts the user, reports on theproblem (such as number of licenses; finally, a work order or purchaseorder tickets may be assigned.

FIG. 22 depicts how the process of the present disclosure promotespurchase opportunities for buyers and sellers in an IT networkenvironment. For the advertiser/vendor community, the disclosed subjectmatter provides an in-stream advertising platform that tailorsadvertisements and product information to the particular needs of anenterprise network, the survey, product education and switch promotionsteps. The disclosed subject matter allows for confidentiality andsecurity within any network. Advertisements provide the user withoptions to purchase necessary components, such as software, memory ordisk drives, represented by the brands and purchase or lead steps.Advertisement revenue allows the software to be distributed for free orat a reduced cost to the end user.

FIG. 23 shows how the disclosed subject matter supports the activitiesof an IT network administrator. FIG. 23 depicts a user interface 572,typically manned by the IT administrator of the network. Softwaremodules 574 and 576 are typically installed on a network to provide thefunctionality offered by the aspects of the present disclosure. Softwareengine 576 is typically hosted off-site from the user and gathersinformation from multiple users. Although in a far-flung world-wideorganization, engine 576 may be implemented by a third-party for thebenefit of the organization or by the IT department of the organization.The application engine 578 contains subroutines that provide the userwith such functionality as views, setting, application services,collection of services and a host of other services. This list is meantto be exemplary and not limiting in any manner.

The collection engine 580 provides the user with server proxy, finder,watcher and third party functionality as aspects of the presentdisclosure. Engines 578 and 580 may be employed jointly in a network orseparately. In a typical installation, engine 580 will be installed atmultiple sites in a distributed network 582 or in a network that hasseveral firewalls or security measures, downstream of them and then toprovide retrieved information to the application engine 578. Although anIT administrator may change these settings, typically the applicationdynamically determines the appropriate IP addresses, domain names orother information required to gather the information.

FIG. 24 shows an initial graphical user interface screen shot showinginformation on how a network administrator may download the software ofthe disclosed subject matter using a web browser.

FIG. 25 presents a flow diagram for the asset and configurationdiscovery features of the presently disclosed IT network managementsystem;

FIG. 25 depicts a schematic flow diagram of the asset and configurationengine. In the scanning and discovery process, algorithms and parametersare initiated and launched as represent by start 602. Control thenpasses to obtain network settings 604. At this step information has beendetermined automatically but also may be provided to the application bythe IT administrator, such as off-site IP addresses, domain names etc.that are part of the system and needs to be aggregated by centralservices engine are made accessible to be view by application engine.

This initial information may also include, any required securitypasswords or logins required to access some or all of the systems on thenetwork. At step 604 the network settings are obtain as well as checkingof the domain name and the DNS lookup in both directions. Any DNS errorsfound are aggregated into a top level view so that they later may becorrected by the IT administrator if desired.

An identifier for a computer or device on a TCP/IP network. Networksusing the TCP/IP protocol route messages based on the IP address of thedestination. The format of an IP address is a 32-bit numeric addresswritten as four numbers separated by periods. Each number may be zero to255. For example, 2.160.10.240 could be an IP address.

Within an isolated network, IP addresses may be assigned at random aslong as each one is unique. However, connecting a private network to theInternet requires using registered IP addresses (called Internetaddresses) as specified by networking standards. The four numbers in anIP address are used in different ways to identify a particular networkand a host on that network. Four regional Internet registries—ARIN, RIPENCC, LACNIC and APNIC—assign Internet addresses from the following threeclasses. Class A—supports 16 million hosts on each of 126 networks;Class B—supports 65,000 hosts on each of 16,000 networks; and ClassC—supports 254 hosts on each of 2 million networks.

In a 32-bit IP address, the number of bits used to identify the networkand the host vary according to the network class of the address. In aClass C network, the first 3 bits, or the high-order bits, are always“110.” The next 21 bits are used to define the Class C network, and thefinal eight bits are used to identify the host. The IP address isrepresented in dotted decimal notation of four 8-bit fields, or octets,that have been converted from binary to decimal numbers.

The number of valid networks and hosts available is always 2^(N) (whereN equals the number of bits used) minus 2 (one for the all zeros addressand one for the all ones address). Thus, for a class C address wherein 8bits are available for hosts, the number of hosts is 2⁸−2, or 256−2,which is 254. Future version of this software will support Ipv6 whichallows for a much greater range of IP addresses.

At step 604 a determination is made as to how wide the system is and toallocate search protocols based on this measure. For instance in a ClassC network there are 254 potential hosts. Each device has or should havea unique IP address or sub-mask address. If an IP address or name isprovided by the IT administrator, a DNS lookup takes place. The presentdisclosure confirms the DNS name and IP address associated with it andassures that the IP address defaults to the DNS name and vice-versa. Ifan IP address or name is not provide the search engine 606 will the setthe range based on the how wide the system is and ping each element tosee if it responds. If an element does respond then it is probed to seeif it is listed on one of the ports or is a unique name or IP addressdevice.

Having “ping”-ed an element and it responds, control then passes to step608 where the element is probed. Although the following steps are listedin a logical and efficient manner for probing elements on a network,other groupings or searching hierarchies may be employed or plugged inlater and not depart from the scope of the present disclosure.

At step 610 the device is probed to see if it responds to WMI. WindowsManagement Instrumentation (WMI) is a set of extensions to the WindowsManagement Instrumentation that provides an operating system interfacethrough which instrumented components may provide information andnotification. If the device is identified as a WMI device data iscollected at step 612 and control passes to step 634 where adetermination as to whether the device responds to HTTP is made(i.e.,has a web server interface). Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is amethod used to transfer or convey information on the World Wide Web.

If the device is found to be a WMI at step 610 the remaining steps 610through 630 are skipped, since by default the device will not respond toany of the other protocols. At step 614 the device is probed to see ifit responds to SNMP. The simple network management protocol (SNMP) formspart of the internet protocol suite as defined by the InternetEngineering Task Force (IETF). SNMP is used by network managementsystems to monitor network-attached devices for conditions that warrantadministrative attention. It consists of a set of standards for networkmanagement, including an Application Layer protocol, a database schema,and a set of data objects.

If at step 614 the device responds, it is identified as a SNMP devicedata is collected at step 616 and control passes to step 634 where adetermination as whether the device responds to HTTP. The remainingsteps 618-630 are skipped. The simple network management protocol (SNMP)forms part of the internet protocol suite as defined by the InternetEngineering Task Force (IETF). SNMP is used by network managementsystems to monitor network-attached devices for conditions that warrantadministrative attention. It consists of a set of standards for networkmanagement, including an Application Layer protocol, a database schema,and a set of data objects.

At step 618 if the device responds, it is identified as a SSH device,data is collected at step 620 and control passes to step 634 where adetermination as whether the device responds to HTTP is made. Steps622-630 are skipped. Secure Shell or SSH is a set of standards and anassociated network protocol that allows establishing a secure channelbetween a local and a remote computer. It uses public-key cryptographyto authenticate the remote computer and (optionally) to allow the remotecomputer to authenticate the user. Shell commands are then used toobtain the needed information from the asset.

At step 622 if the device responds, it is identified as a JetDirectdevice, data is collected at step 624 and control passes to step 634where a determination as whether the device responds to HTTP is made.Steps 626-630 are skipped. JetDirect is the name of a technology sold byHewlett-Packard that allows computer printers to be directly attached toa Local Area Network. The most common communication uses TCP/IP port9100.

At step 626 if the device responds, it is identified as a VoIP SIP, datais collected at step 628 and control passes to step 634 where adetermination as to whether the device responds to HTTP is made. Voiceover Internet Protocol, also called VoIP, IP Telephony, Internettelephony, Broadband telephony, Broadband Phone and Voice over Broadbandis the routing of voice conversations over the Internet or through anyother IP-based network.

At step 630 if the device responds, it is identified as an HTTP and datais collected at step 632. Control then passes to step 638, wherein if noresponse is received and exception report or alert is generated andforwarded to the IT administrator providing the directions as to how tohandle these occurrences.

The reason the device failed to respond or did not respond fully, afterbeing identified as being on the system could be numerous. In thisinstance the port is identified as being open but is identified as notshowing anything on it. This could occur for various reasons, such asthe user may not have the security clearance to access the system/devicein question or a separate login is required that was not provided. Thedevice may be behind a firewall or other device such a hub that will notrespond.

Once the data is collected control then passes to step 636 wherein thedata collect is posted with each device found on the network. Processsteps 606 may be repeated again at a later time to discovery new networkdevices, but a report will only be generated for devices previouslyidentified if the device configuration has changed. This information isstored on the system so that a history of the device may be created andused to compare with itself or other devices similarly configured andequipped.

This provides for a very efficient way of trouble shooting devices bybeing able to access a snap shot of a device that was previous working.It also provides the IT administrator the functionality and ability toensure that each user on the system is appropriately configured with thesoftware, hardware, peripheral access and etc. that their security levelor access level requires or allows. Therefore, it a system bios or otherparameters are changed and a problem occurs, the IT administrator mayutilize this tool to identify the change in the systems configuration attake appropriate measures to resolve it.

FIG. 26 presents a flow diagram for a watcher flow functions of using aschematic diagram of a watcher or monitoring engine. This aspect of thepresent disclosure monitors identified devices on the system at periodictimes. It mainly looks for devices that switch states between online andoffline and sends flags these events for the IT administrator asdiscussed below. For large organizations, the monitoring engine maysegment the total number of devices and monitor each segment in arotating fashion as not to over tax the operating systems. Although,this should not be a concern, since the data gathered and transmitted ison the order of 10s of K and require very little system resources torun. Therefore, in most instances the user will not even be aware of theprogramming scanning operation. Alternately, the present disclosure maybe directed to only run when system resources are above a certain level(i.e. 60% or 80%) to ensure that productivity is not hampered by thescanning and transmitting of data process.

At step 902 the monitoring or watcher flow engine is initiated with theparameters set by the IT administrator. Control then passes to step 904where each known device is processed. Control then passes to step 906for each monitor where a check status request is initiated at step 908.If the result of the check status is a positive, i.e., the status haschanged, the status change is posted to set 912. If the check statusrequest is a negative, i.e., a no result, the process terminates.

Once the change is posted at step 912, control then passes to step 914,where a determination is made, in compliance with the IT administratorset up instructions, to send an email or some other type alert, such ascreating an exception report, or log. If the determination at step 914is a no, then the process terminates, although the data is still storedwith the device showing the time of the last scan and its results. Thisdata may remain indefinitely on the system or be periodically culledusing a FIFO method over a set time period. If the instructions areaffirmative at step 914 to send an email, control passes to step 916where an email or some other type alert is direct to the party orparties designated by the IT administrator.

The watcher flow or monitoring engine continually performs the variousdescribed functions at the period intervals set up for the monitoringprocess until the process is terminated or altered by the ITadministrator.

While the present disclosure has been described with respect to alimited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having benefitof this disclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments may bedevised which do not depart from the scope of the present disclosure asdescribed herein. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosureshould be limited only by the attached claims.

1. A method for providing the status of a local network ofinterconnected information technology devices, comprising the steps of:downloading a local network monitoring software program from an onlinesource onto a host computer system associated with said local network;installing said local network monitoring software on said host computer;initiating an inventory of all information technology devices associatedwith said local network of information technology devices; determiningthe operational status of a plurality of said information technologydevices; determining the status of software programs installed on saidinformation technology devices; presenting to the host computer systeminformation relating to the operational status and status of softwareprograms on said information technology devices; and permitting the userof said host computer system to initiate maintenance and support actionsin response to said operational status and said status of softwareprograms using said local network monitoring software.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein said inventory initiating step further comprises thestep of initiating an inventory of all computer systems associated withsaid local network.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said inventoryinitiating step further comprises the step of initiating an inventory ofall peripheral printing devices associated with said local network. 4.The method of claim 1, wherein said inventory initiating step furthercomprises the step of initiating an inventory of all server devicesassociated with said local network.
 5. The method of claim 1, whereinstep of determining the operational status of a plurality of saidinformation technology devices further comprises the step of determiningchanging conditions of a computer system memory device for a computerassociated with said local network.
 6. The method of claim 1, whereinstep of determining the operational status of a plurality of saidinformation technology devices further comprises the step of determiningthe installation of software of a plurality of computing systemsassociated with said local network.
 7. The method of claim 1, whereinstep of determining the operational status of a plurality of saidinformation technology devices further comprises the step of determiningthe installation of software of a plurality of computing systemsassociated with said local network.
 8. The method of claim 1, whereinstep of determining the operational status of a plurality of saidinformation technology devices further comprises the step of determiningthe presence of antivirus software on computer stations associated withsaid local network.
 9. A system for providing the status of a localnetwork of interconnected information technology devices, comprising: ahost computer for operating computing instructions and storing saidcomputing instructions on a computer readable medium, said host computerassociated with a local network of information technology devices;instructions for downloading from a local network monitoring softwareprogram from an online source onto said host computer system;instructions for installing said local network monitoring software onsaid host computer; instructions operable on said host computer forcommunicating between said host computing system and said informationtechnology devices for initiating an inventory of all informationtechnology devices associated with said local network of informationtechnology devices; instructions operable on said host computing systemand said information technology devices for determining the operationalstatus of a plurality of said information technology devices;instructions operable on said host computing system for communicatingwith said information technology devices for determining the status ofsoftware programs installed on said information technology devices;instructions operable on said host computing system for presentinginformation relating to the operational status and status of softwareprograms on said information technology devices; and instructionsoperable on said host computing system for permitting a user of saidhost computer system to initiate maintenance and support actions inresponse to said operational status and said status of software programsusing said local network monitoring software.
 10. The system of claim 9,wherein said instructions for initiating an inventory further compriseinstructions for initiating an inventory of all computer systemsassociated with said local network.
 11. The system of claim 9, whereinsaid instructions for initiating an inventory further compriseinstructions for initiating an inventory of all peripheral printingdevices associated with said local network.
 12. The system of claim 9,wherein said instructions for initiating an inventory further compriseinstructions for initiating an inventory of all server devicesassociated with said local network.
 13. The system of claim 9, furthercomprising instructions for determining the operational status of saidinformation technology devices further comprises instructions fordetermining changing conditions of a computer system memory device for acomputer associated with said local network.
 14. The system of claim 9,further comprising instructions for determining the operational statusof said information technology devices further comprises instructionsfor determining the installation of software of a plurality of computingsystems associated with said local network.
 15. The system of claim 9,further comprising instructions for determining the operational statusof said information technology devices further comprises instructionsfor determining the installation of software of a plurality of computingsystems associated with said local network.
 16. The system of claim 9,further comprising instructions for determining the operational statusof said information technology devices further comprises instructionsfor determining the presence of antivirus software on computer stationsassociated with said local network.
 17. A local network of informationtechnology devices having the ability to inventory and determine thestatus of interconnected information technology devices, comprising: aplurality of communication paths forming a local network ofinterconnected information technology devices comprising a host computerand a plurality of computer workstations and at least one peripheraldevice; said host computer for operating computing instructions andstoring said computing instructions on a computer readable medium, saidhost computer associated through said local network of informationtechnology devices; instructions for downloading from a local networkmonitoring software program from an online source onto said hostcomputer system; instructions operable on said host computer forcommunicating between said host computing system and said informationtechnology devices for initiating an inventory of all informationtechnology devices associated with said local network of informationtechnology devices; instructions operable on said host computing systemand said information technology devices for determining the operationalstatus of a plurality of said information technology devices;instructions operable on said host computing system for communicatingwith said information technology devices for determining the status ofsoftware programs installed on said information technology devices;instructions operable on said host computing system for presentinginformation relating to the operational status and status of softwareprograms on said information technology devices; and instructionsoperable on said host computing system for permitting a user of saidhost computer system to initiate maintenance and support actions inresponse to said operational status and said status of software programsusing said local network monitoring software.
 18. The local network ofinformation technology devices of claim 17, wherein said instructionsfor initiating an inventory further comprise instructions for initiatingan inventory of all computer systems associated with said local network.19. The local network of information technology devices of claim 17,wherein said instructions for initiating an inventory further compriseinstructions for initiating an inventory of all peripheral printingdevices associated with said local network.
 20. The local network ofinformation technology devices of claim 17, further comprisinginstructions for determining the operational status of said informationtechnology devices further comprises instructions for determining theinstallation of software of a plurality of computing systems associatedwith said local network.